


Can't Help It If There's No-One Else

by allrounderinsane



Category: Cricket RPF
Genre: 2013-14 Ashes, M/M, Relationship Dare, Warke, Waters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-23
Updated: 2014-02-23
Packaged: 2018-01-13 12:29:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1226272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allrounderinsane/pseuds/allrounderinsane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>David Warner and Chris Rogers make a pledge - if Australia wins the Ashes 5-0, they'll tell the men of their dreams how they feel. They really should have more confidence in their side.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Can't Help It If There's No-One Else

**Author's Note:**

> This story is dedicated to themitchstache/buttonnotbieber who gave me the prompt for this story. The title is derived from a line from the song “Hey Stephen” by Taylor Swift. I promise you, I will eventually get to the prompt, but there’s going to be a bit of backstory first.

It was the morning of the first day of the 2013-14 Ashes series. David Warner and Chris Rogers were standing in the corridor leading from the dressing rooms to the field at the Gabba, waiting to walk out to bat.

“Are you nervous?” David queried, desperate to make conversation as he watched the English team make their way out onto the field and form a team huddle.

Chris nodded slightly, not particularly wanting David to talk.

“I’ve got a deal for you,” Chris began to suggest in a nervous tone, “If we win 5-0, you’ve got to tell Pup how you feel”.

The words accidentally spilled out of Chris’ mouth. He had planned to suggest this to David, but maybe not when they were waiting to walk out to bat on the first day of the biggest series of their careers. His fellow opener thought for a moment as they watched the English team disperse from their huddle.

“Deal,” David agreed instinctively.

They bumped their fists together powerfully, before heading out to bat.

That evening, with Australia eight wickets down in their first innings with not enough runs on the board, David and Chris found themselves meeting up in the hallway of their hotel.

“We need to talk about our deal,” the younger man murmured, touching his fingertips to the edge of Chris’ T-shirt sleeve.

Chris nodded his head as David placed his arm back by his side. The older man realised that he had probably been a tad irrational in his words earlier that morning.

“Look, if you think this is going to end badly, I mean, I shouldn’t try to dictate your love life, so we don’t have to do this,” he informed his opening partner.

David bowed his head, then glanced off to the window at the opposite end of the corridor. He thought for a moment, before gazing back to Chris and looking the other man straight in the eye.

“I think there’s about as much chance of us winning this Test, let alone 5-0, as there is of Pup magically being in love with me,” David admitted.

Chris offered a weak smile and stared down to his bare feet, images of his dismissal that day flashing through his mind.

“You never know,” he stated dryly as the other man scoffed quietly.

They both glanced up, once again catching each other’s attention. David folded his arms and stepped forwards a little.

“How about?” he pondered, then lowered his speaking volume, “We add to this deal that you also have to tell Watto how _you_ feel”.

Chris groaned slightly. His attempts to sort out his friend’s love life had accidentally backfired on him.

“OK,” he agreed in a hesitant, yet submissive, tone of voice.

David tried to hide his smirk from Chris without much luck. Their conversation was interrupted when Michael Clarke exited his own room at the very end of the hallway. Chris was startled by the soft noise of turning of the handle and the opening of the door. Michael wandered down the corridor towards his opening batsmen, who were both sporting sheepish expressions.

“We’re heading off to bed, skip, I promise,” Chris swiftly spoke before his captain had a chance.

Michael smiled and continued heading towards them, tying the navy blue cord of his striped dressing gown into a neat bow that settled on his waist.

“Not together, I hope,” the captain teased with a wide grin.

David and Chris immediately both shook their heads, both a little perplexed.

“Night, lads,” Michael murmured with a wave, before he headed back to his own room.

Both opening batsman were surprised by what had just happened.

“We really should get to bed,” Chris suggested, pulling his keycard from the pocket of his shorts. David nodded and headed down over to his own room, which was diagonally opposite.

“Goodnight, Buck,” he muttered with a wave.

“Yeah, goodnight Davey,” Chris replied as he headed off through the door of his room behind him.

David was finally alone from the moment that he heard his door thump behind him. His mind was buzzing with questions regarding the captain’s words. What on Earth had he meant by saying ‘not together, I hope’ in response to Chris’ promise that they were heading off to bed? David removed his shirt and draped it over his suitcase in the corner of the room.

Lying down on top of the white sheet still firmly tucked into the bed, he closed his eyes with a sigh. Was Michael just being a homophobic bully, taunting his players? He didn’t think so and he certainly hoped not. Was Michael just making a cheap joke? Did Michael genuinely suspect that there was something going on between himself and Chris?

David closed his eyes and rolled over onto his side. He sighed due to the weight of one lingering question on his mind. Maybe, just maybe, were Michael’s words out of jealously that _he himself_ wanted to spend the night with David? The opening batsman groaned with thought. Besides, why was the captain wandering out into the hallway anyway?

David didn’t bother to seek answers to his questions. He knew that he had to get to sleep, because he knew they had a big day ahead of them, starting the next morning.


End file.
